Three rival groups are in a tug-o’-war over a ceasefire initiative for the Gaza conflict: The US and UN; Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia; and Qatar, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Monday night, July 21, US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Cairo to press their case. Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi told them he would not amend his original ceasefire proposal to suit Hamas’ demands. Israel has reserved its response, needing time for the IDF to accomplish its counter-terror mission in the Gaza Strip.

The Obama administration was forced Monday, Jan. 20 - the day Iran began implementing the interim nuclear accord - to put its foot down against Moscow and Tehran over UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon’s invitation for Iran to attend the Syria peace conference opening Wednesday. debkafile: Barack Obama and John Kerry were shocked to discover Moscow and Tehran exploiting the US outreach to them for independent steps on Syria in defiance of Washington’s conditions. They told Ban that the US would not demur for fear of upsetting the nuclear accord.

Sunni Muslim fighters stream into Syria from across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, helped by the US, the UK and Qatar. Iran and Hizballah are pushing Shiite reinforcements into the embattled country. Al Qaeda is deeply plunged in the fray. The latest DEBKA-Net-Weeklyout last Friday traces the Syrian war cycle as it widens into a deadly Sunni-Shiite showdown set to outstrip the Afghan and Iraqi wars in scale and violence.
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Tehran was forced to eat crow and backtrack on its ploy for winning international recognition for its nuclear program by showing Non-Aligned Summit leaders and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon around its nuclear sites. The tour was planned for Wednesday, Aug. 29. However, debkafile reports that Washington intervened Tuesday and “advised” NAM participants as well as Ban to turn Tehran down on its nuclear tour, which was to have included the suspected nuclear-related explosives testing lab at Parchin.

Senior Israeli military officers, referring to the Syrian foreign ministry statement Monday, July 23, that Syria would only use chemical weapons against “external aggression” said this was a direct threat by the Assad regime to turn those weapons against Israel. There was no denial of their potential transfer to Hizballah against which Israel has vowed to use force. debkafile: Assad keeps carte blanche for chemical warfare. Obama warns Assad he will be held accountable if he makes tthe “tragic mistake” of using chemical weapons.

NATO is reverting to its "shock and awe" plan to finally bomb Muammar Qaddafi out of power, although nothing is known about Washington's position or participation. The rebels are already rejoicing and boasting about fictitious victories.

For the first time an international coalition has gone to war against a UN member which does not menace fellow-members but its own people. It leaves US- US Saudi and US-Arab Gulf relations in bad shape. The UN resolution's reference to "the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi" is easily interchangeable with the name of any other country and city by a Security Council majority. It is therefore a precedent that strikes fear in many capitals. .. .

Israel's report to Ban Ki-Moon supposed to defend IDF conduct in the Gaza Operation adds weight to the war's critics by naming two high-ranking commanders who were disciplined for exceeding orders by allowing the UN center in Gaza to come under artillery attack. Their fellow-commanders are furious, say the two officers have been placed at risk of international prosecution.